Network or Internet-enabled environments and, more particularly, social networking systems, generally allow users to interact online with respect to various topics and categories of information. These systems set, generally speaking, static permissions and rights for each user that define how the user interacts with the system and other users. A user may join one or more groups of users formed within the system, where the user is then defined as being a part of the group(s). One particular use of such an environment in a market such as education involves the definition of “courses” that have content objects, permissions and rights, and specified execution logic whereby a user progresses through a series of interactions and events online as mediated by these predefined permissions, rights, or execution flows.
In the instance of user groups, interaction among users and/or groups is typically facilitated through various mediums, such as blogs, posts, and discussion/message boards. Data representative of this interaction is typically stored in a data structure corresponding to the forum in which the interaction took place. For example, data representative of posts or other material uploaded by a user to a discussion board directed to a specific topic is stored in a data structure corresponding to the discussion board, such as a thread. The data is not stored in a data structure corresponding to the user who posted or uploaded the material. This arrangement prevents a user from maintaining a collection of all interactions of that user, as well as all information and material posted or uploaded by that user, in one location. Accordingly, the user is unable to transport or transfer the collection to another system or to another group within the same system. The user is also unable to easily locate and retrieve information or material already provided by the user to the system in some manner or form from one location or storage medium.
Users may also form relationships or associations with other users. These relationships are usually static meaning that there is merely an identification that a first user is connected to a second user where the system is unconcerned with the manner and reason for the connection. The connection between the users also lacks context such that the first user may receive a notification that the second user has performed an action with respect to a specific category of information even if the first user is not concerned with that category. When the second user performs another action (but with respect to a specific category in which the first user is interested), the first user merely receives the same notification as that corresponding to the category in which the first user is not interested. The first user is not alerted as to the importance or significance of the second action.
Such systems may also provide or offer an application programming interface (“API”) allowing users to interact with the system or to create subprograms using the system's functionality. The user can then interact with the system using the subprograms, which the user may offer (or may offer the functions provided by the subprogram) to other users. The subprograms functionality is limited, however, by the set of functions and methods provided by the system in the API. For instance, the user lacks the ability to define objects, functions, methods, events, and other functionality to use within the system.
It is also generally understood that social network-based computing and information architectures and learning management system computing and information architectures have traditionally been at opposite ends of a continuum, sharing very few core assumptions, characteristics, and capabilities. In some relatively recent instances Learning Management Systems that have been very “closed,” have started to be extended to become more modern, open, and Internet capable. Two background sources for information include U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,519,629 and 7,493,396 and U.S. Published Patent Application Serial Nos. 2007/0192299 and 2004/0181751, to which reference is made, and the disclosures of which are each incorporated by reference as if set forth verbatim herein.